Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jalandhar district of Punjab on the occasion of the 649th birth anniversary of Sant Ravidas. This yatra not only holds religious and social significance, but it is also being seen as an important political message before the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
This visit of the Prime Minister is being considered a big step towards dialogue and engagement with Ravidasiya and Ad-Dharmi community. The Prime Minister reached Jalandhar at around 3:45 pm. During this, he formally announced to name Adampur Airport as ‘Shri Guru Ravidas Ji Airport’.
Along with this, the civil terminal of Halwara (Ludhiana) Airport was inaugurated through video conferencing from Adampur itself, due to which Punjab The industrial and agricultural sectors are expected to get a new boost.
PM’s visit was special in many ways
After this, the Prime Minister reached Dera Sachkhand Ballan at around 4:30 pm, where he addressed a huge public meeting. After the program of about an hour, he returned to Adampur airbase at 5:25 pm. Strict security arrangements were made during the entire tour.
This yatra is also considered politically important because recently the Central Government has honored Dera chief Sant Niranjan Das with Padma Shri. This is being seen as a strategy to strengthen relations with the Ravidassia community.
Also read: PM Narendra Modi paid tribute to Guru Ravidas, said – his teachings are relevant even today
dalit vote bank
Dera Sachkhand Ballan is located about 18 kilometers from Jalandhar and is considered to have a significant impact on the Dalit population in the Doaba region. The share of Dalits in the total population of Punjab is about 32 percent, which is the highest in the country. There are 23 assembly seats from Doaba region and according to political analysts, the influence of Dera is believed to extend to about 19 seats.
Historically, the Adi-Dharmi/Ravidasia community was considered a strong support base of the Congress. This equation changed with the rise of Kanshi Ram, after which the BSP emerged as a preferred option whenever it looked electorally competitive. Later, the Shiromani Akali Dal also made selective inroads, especially during the tenure of Prakash Singh Badal, who made inroads among the Ramdasia Sikhs through symbolic representation and welfare initiatives.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, BSP managed to consolidate Dalit votes in Jalandhar. However, in 2024, key stories around the Constitution and political stability pushed a large section of Dalit voters towards the Congress, leading to a sharp decline in the BSP’s vote share.
Also read: Punjab gets another new airport, PM Modi inaugurates new terminal in Halwara
In his address, the Prime Minister emphasized the role of the state in the development of the poor, farmers, women and youth, industry, “Make in Punjab”, revenue and exports. He also mentioned his long association with Dera and its global contribution to humanity. Experts believe that this visit points towards new equations in Dalit politics of Punjab.
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